SCHOOL OVERCROWDING.

Taranaki Daily News, 14 April 1921, Page 6

SCHOOL OVERCROWDING.

CONDITIONS AT FITZROY. RELIEF URGENTLY REQUIRED. According to reports received at yesterday’s meeting of the Taranaki Education Board, increased accommodation is an absolute necessity at the Fitzroy School, the present building being insufficient for requirements, and it was also contended that in view of the rapid growth of the suburb any work done should, as far as possible, be of a permanent nature. A detailed report on the school was received from the senior inspector (Mr. J. A. Valintine). He stated:—“ln this school there are four rooms. It is manifest that No. 1 room is fully taxed for space, that in No. 2 there is more than enough room for the 40 pupils of the class, but not nearly enough spare room for another class; that No. 3 room is very much overcrowded, and the infant room is so overcrowded as to render it almost impossible to carry on with any degree of satisfaction. Besides, sooner or later the health of the children in these overcrowded rooms must suffer. As there is no room in the school buildings for Standard 4, it is taught in the gymnasium, a structure utterly unsuitable for class purposes, being badly lighted, badly ventilated, and not heated at all. It is, therefore, perfectly clear that as the present floor space of 2642 square feet affords accommodation for only 220 pupils, and as the average attendance for the March quarter was 258, more accommodation is urgently required. To provide this additional accommodation perhaps three plans suggest themselves: (1) To build a separate infant room, to form the nucleus of a new building in years to come. That such a new building will be required seems evident, for I am assured that already the three older rooms are borerinfested. One floor has been renewed, and another must shortly be replaced (the headmaster has effected temporary repairs to one part by nailing a board over one of the holes in the floor.) (2) To extend the new end walls of each of the rooms now 32£ft by 20ft by say 10ft, and then to divide the 48Jft of length thus obtained so that two rooms each of 24ft by 20ft may be formed. This would give two new rooms each of 24ft by 20ft, or 960 square feet additional, or

accommodation for 80 more than the present school affords. The total floor space then would be 3262 square feet, affording accommodation for 272 pupils, an'd the average now is 258. (3) To extend only one of the long rooms as suggested in (2). This would give 2952 square feet of floor space, enough for 246 pupils, and the present average attendance is 258.

Before deciding on the best plan for providing the increased accommodation necessary, the board must keep in mind certain facts: (1) That this part of New Plymouth is growing very rapidly. The headmaster informs me that on April 11 he counted no less than 33 houses in course of erection within a radius of three-quarters of a mUe from the school. (2) That there is around the school (known to be) over 40 children who will shortly be of school age. (.3) That the present school site is low and badly drained, being at least 18 inches below the level of the adjoining railway. There seems to lie little doubt that 'proposal (1) of the building schemes is the ideal, especially as in the new part of the playground a fine site is available, but it is very doubtful if at the present juncture the Department will agree to it. Hence, No. 2 proposal is the only one worth considering, and at least it is only a temporary provision. If it is adopted the overcrowding that exists at present in the infant room must still continue, and it would be still necessary to use the unsuitable gymnasium for class purposes. No. .3 proposal is so utterly inadequate as to deserve no further consideration. I recommend that additional accommodation be applied for, but 1 leave it to the Board to say which of the proposals is the one that should be pressed on the department.” The chairman of the board (Air. P. J. H. White) and Mr. S. G. Smith, M.P., complimented the inspector on the comprehensive report which had been laid before members.

Mr. Smith expressed the opinion that the conditions at the school should not be allowed to continue any longer than

was necessary. He thought the only course to adopt, in justice to the children, and also from the point of economy, was to secure a new infant room. Mr. R. Masters, M.P., congratulated Air. Valintine on the concise report. After quoting sections of the inspector’s remarks, he said he believed that despite any financial stringency the conditions should not be tolerated so long as there was money available. He favored the board making strong representations to the department. It was resolved, on the motion of Messrs. Smith and Deare: That in the opinion of this board the mo*st economical and satisfactory manner to meet the imperative need for additional accommodation at the Fitzroy School will be to build a separate infant room, as recommended by the senior inspector, and that the architect be instructed to prepare plans accordingly, and that application be made to the department for a grant to cover the cost. The question of heating facilities at the school was referred to the chairman and Messrs,. Smith, Deare and Moore (architect)